Clamping means and device provided therewith



April 10, 1951 A. LEITMAN 2,548,483

CLAMPING MEANS AND DEVICE PROVIDED THEREWITH Filed May .'51, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Buma/WTO@ Bmw? April 10, 1951 A. LEITMAN 2,548,483

CLAMPING MEANS AND DEVICE PROVIDED THEREWITH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi'led May 5l, 1946 April 10, 1951 A. LEITMAN 2,548,483

CLAMPING MEANS AND DEVICE PROVIDED THEREWITH Filed May 31, 1946 5 sheets-sheet 5 lNvENToR BY A MLA-l GL* ATTO R N EY Patented pr. 10, 1951 UNITEDv STATES PATENT O'IFlClf' CLAMPINGMEANSAND DEVICE PROVIDED` l THEREWITH Aleck Leitman, MiamL-Fla.

ApplicatinMay 31, 1946, Seria'l- N0. 67?475l 3` Claims. l'.

This.. invention. relates to resilient clamping.` means andV to devices. provided therewith.

One object of the invention. is the provision. ofi resilient clamping; means.` in which. the resilient elementis of. such characterv thatit; is. useful to greatladvantage. as.- a; resilient clamping member.

Another Objectis: to'provide resilient clamping means comprising a. resilient clamping. member Whichis Well adaptedfor. direct resilient clamping action on-.thev-objectlto. be held by the clampingv means;

Another object. isiy the provision of resilient clamping. means. Whichiswvell adapted for holding. garmentsandother: articles of varying thick--y nesses in diierent portionsthereof Afurtlier'object is .the provision ofv a support or hanger. which is particularly well adapted. for usef. as a garment hanger;

A. yet further objectv off the. inventionis the provision of' a support orY hanger Whichis o1 simple and inexpensive construction4 and whichy is highly.` eective, andi which. although of.' oom-v paratively small size can be used. for holding. a largefnumber'of garments or other articles;

The above. and other'objectsieatures andadvantagesiof my invention Will bezfully.' understood fromv the following: description considered in: connection Withl the: accompanyingdrawingshwhichl areto beunderstood as being illustrative.- ofi? the invention but not. ini limitation. thereof.

In the: drawingsz:

Fig. 1 is a top View. of zii-hangerembodying-the present. invention ;Y

Fig. 2 is a sideV vievvu thereof;

Fig. 3; is an end View thereof.;

Fig; 4 is a top viewlof another form of a hanger embodying this invention;

Figs. 5,6. and 7 are vieWssimilar. to- Fig. l., showing parts of hangers of other forms, respectively', of. the present invention Fig.. 8V is a perspective view of a paper clamp embodying: thepresent invention;

Fig.. 9 isv an end viewv of a' paper clamp similar toi that shown in Fig. 8 butprovided with means for hanging the same in position;

Fig. 10'isa front-.view of a hangerfwhich is Well adapted for use as a skirtor trousers hanger;

Fig. 11 is an end view of the hanger shown in Fie. 10;

Fig. 12 is a side viewof a clothes. pin embodying vthe clamping meansof the present invention.

As will hereinafter more fully appear the resilient clampingmeans: of the. present invention is. highly useful in; numerous different.y devices designed fory various-purposes:- SeveralI or such devices will be described but it will be understood.

that the invention'. may bei applied tonumerous other. devices andlthatzthe.inventionisinotliinite'df in` its application.- to* the'v devices hereinaftei' specicallyf describedior illustrated. in they acdome; p'anying. drawings;

Referring now'to the drawingsin detaili andi rst.: to the. embodiment'. of. thel invention. in. ai clothes4 hanger, thereisf` shown inl Figsz. 1 to 3.a hanger or support im intendedprimarily: for.` use iny supporting. such articles asv skirts', trousers; dresses, etc; although. iti will: bef understood: thatA the hangers. or supports. embodying theI presenti invention. may be= used.l-` for.v supporting".` various articles which.. are1 not; necessarily` garments.` or other articles,` of. wearing. apparel. Theiy hangery or support; Ii): comprises a; bracket; IZWhich as here shown is. Ii-sh'apedf` andi comprises: the. parts I4 and; ltr Bracket |.2f may; be.V attached in; any suitableway to aiclosetL Wall-brother support. and for that purpose. part; L4 ofv said bracket may be provided. as here shown. with; openingsl |81: for screwszor other-fastening means.- 1

In` the preerred: form.- of the-inventionz-the hangeror support. I isim'adeof metal@ and isfin the former a"` r.ack,'. said@ hanger com-prisesr the outer members 20; and 22;* and.. a plurali-ty.I off in.- termediately; positioned'. members; 234yv whichiare' disposed betweerr said* end members.v 2l) andi 22s All ofsaid memberszzfiand' 24a are1irr` spaced-com fronting relation andfeachpairiorms cooperating members' defining. ai4 space? therebetween, as` ini-i dicated: at 26.; for the garments: or other' articles which are mounted on the support and are diss posed in said spaces, respectively; Said spaces have: openy ends: as indicated; at 28 for.v the rinser; tion and removal.A of! thearticles;.saidfopen'ends beingdened by the adjacent. endsof-Jthe spa'ce-y dening. members 2.0' told. The.` oppositeiv ends of said. members are secured. to the bracketfi which: constitutes 1 the;V supporting. meansi -fer said members.l The endtmembersi andllzior-the rack are provided; with 'stiening-z. flanges.'Y 3ft and 32, respectively.; andiwith bent-end-portions. and 36, respectively;v saidflast mention'ediendportions as. well as: thel adjacent end portions offlanges 30 and? i12.v arev fastenedi tof part'sf M and I6, respectively,.oflbracket Illini anysuitable :Way as by rivets38. 'Ilheintermediate-spaced meni`A bers-2113 are-preferably th'efor-m-ofiatf-bars--and have 1 bent. portions 40. which are'.ri'vetedior other; wise suitably seeuredto` part" IBioffbracket'lirt'as indicated..at:42.`

Resilient means comprising resilient clamping members Marepositind3`irll-the spaces 2li-'for 3 resiliently engaging and holding the articles which are inserted in said spaces through the open ends 28 thereof. Said resilient means comprises, in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. l, a plurality of thin flat strips of spring steel each strip being in arched form and secured at its opposite ends, in that form, at points spaced longitudinally of the respective members 26 to 24 in any suitable way as by rivets 46. If desireo each spring strip 44 may be enclosed within a covering of fabric (not shown). As illustrated, there are two arched spring members 44 in each space 26, the adjacent ends of the two spring members being secured to a companion one of the members 2li to 24 by one of the rivets 46. It will be understood, however, that there need be only one spring member in each space and similarly there may be more than two spring members arranged in end to end relation longitudinally of the companion space-defining members.

Each spring member 44 is highly flexible in a direction transversely of its length and is readily yieldable for exing movement toward and away from the companion space-defining members to facilitate the insertion and removal oi the articles in the spaces in which said spring members are positioned. In this connection, it will be noted further that the spring members 44 extend in curved fashion from the open end 2B of the companion space 26 toward the opposite end of said space and also from the space-denning member to which the spring member is secured toward the companion space-dening member. It will be understood that each spring member is secured only to one of the pairof spacedening members, and it willbe noted that each spring member is, in the bowed portion thereof, variably flexible toward and away from the companion space-defining members to compensate for variations in thickness of the garments or other articles which are positioned in the space. The spring members 44 are arranged so that they normally resiliently engage that member of. the pair of space-dening members to which the spring member is not secured, and it will be noted that a substantial longitudinally extending bowed portion of each spring memberis normally engaged with the adjacent space defining member `to which the spring member is not secured whereby a substantial length of the spring member is eective to resiliently engage the article held thereby against said space-deiining member. Since the spring members 44 are variably ilexible in diierent longitudinal portions thereof, progressively along the length of the spring member, in proportion to the flexing force exerted n said portions of the spring member, during the insertionof the article in or removal of the article from the space, each spring member is capable of assuming a variable contour or longitudinal curvature, along its length, to grip or release adjacent portions of the article which in said portions may be of different thicknesses, respectively. Accordingly, each springmember may have one portion thereof iiexed further toward the space-defining member to `which the spring member is secured than an adjacent portion of said spring member, depending upon the Vthicknesses of the article at the corresponding portions of the spring member so that the article is resiliently engaged by a substantial length of the spring member. v

' Ihe spring members y44, in respect to their resiliency characteristic, may be described by the term soft, which is a term understood by those skilled in the art as applicable to each spring member 44 which, as described above, can be variably liexed in different or longitudinally successive or spaced portions, respectively, of the flexible bowed part which is made up of these variably flexible portions. By way of illustration it may be stated that spring 44 has a thickness of about .008", but the invention is not narrowly limited to springs of this thickness. As these spring members are made of thin and ilexi- V ble spring steel and are provided with the above described bowed portions the variable and soft ilexing characteristic is provided in the bowed portion. Preferably, each spring is pre-formed with the opposite end portions in angular relatlon to the intermediate longitudinal part of the spring which extends between said end portions so that when the spring is bowed in said intermediate part and said end portions are secured to the companion space-defining member, said end portions lie at against said space-denning member. Preferably, each spring is dimensioned and arranged and the distance between the confronting surfaces of the companion space-defining members are such that when the spring is arched and is secured at its opposite ends to the spacedening member, the arch is flattened by its engagement with the companion-space-defining member so that a substantial length of the curved or bowed part of the spring normally resilient engages a substantial part of said last mentioned space-deining member when the article is not in place therebetween.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the space-defining members 58 are secured intermediate the length thereof to a supporting member 52 which may be of any suitable form whereby the spaces between each pair of said members 59 have open ends 54 at the two outer ends thereof. Members 50 are preferably in the form of at bars and may be secured at their intermediate portions to supporting member 52 in any suitable way as by riveting said intermediate portions to angle irons 56 as indicated at 58. The spring members 44 are secured to one of the companion space-dening members at opposite sides, respectively, of the supporting member 52. The spring members 44 in this form of the invention are thus related to the space-defining members 50 in the same way as described above with reference to Fig. l and have the same iiexibility and article gripping characteristics hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. l. In other words the spring members 44 have the same action in both forms of the invention.

The hangers or supports of the present invention are preferably mounted for use in such position that the companion space-defining members, being horizontal, have their confronting surfaces in vertical planes so that the trousers, skirts, dresses, or other articles, which are gripped between the springs and the space-dening members depend therefrom and are suspended from the hanger or support so as to hang down vertically therefrom. It will be noted that Vthe part I6 of the bracket or support l2 provides an eective shelf-like support for the space-dening members; said part i6 being in a horizontal position with said space-dening members thereabove when saidl bracket is fastened to a wall or other support for the hanger.` It will be understood, however, that it is within the scope of this invention to mount the hanger with the bracket suspended in vertical position.

ascenso@ ingj' surfaces of the companion space-defining members being correspondingly in horizontal position, although the first mentioned position is preferred for in the latter'the garments'or other articles hang straightdown from the hanger and are not folded over the springs or overthe spacedefining members. The brackets I2 and 52- may. be secured in fixed position, as illustrated or they may be hingedlyy securedin vposition so-that the hangers can be moved to lie closeto the closet Wall or to a folded-or retracted position-whenf-not in use.

As shown in Figs. 8'to 12, the'clarr-ipingmeans ofthe present invention Vmay be-embodiedin several various ways additional to those-illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 described above. Fig. 8 shows-a paper holder 50 which maybeused on a desk or table; Said paperV holder comprises la-base--Z which maybe formed of wood, metaL-plastic orany other suitable material; and Vamember ft/formed of anyl suitable material and forming a cooperating member With base 52 to dene a space therebetween and said member having attached theretoa spring44 of the same character. as the springs 44' in the devices shown in Figs. `1to 7, the op-V posite ends of said spring being secured to member 54 in any suitable way as by rivets. Member 54 is substantially stiffer than spring 444 and if desired maybe substantially rigid so jthat the spring 44 is the sole resilient clamping` member ofV the device. Howeven itis within the scope of this invention to make member 54 sufciently exible to imparta spring action thereto. As shown in Fig. 8, member 54 is secured at one end thereof to base 52 in any suitable way as by rivets 56'.passing through. base.`52 and an under.- lapping end portion- 58- of member 54; Fig. 9 shows the paper holder. providedl with an extension 60 of the base 52 so that said holder may be suspended vertically from a suitable support. For this purpose extension 60 is provided with a hole 62 for a supporting nail or hook. rlhe parts of the -paper clamp on holder 50A illustrated in Fig. 9 which are the same as the parts of paper holder 56 are designated by the same numerals as in Fig. 8 and it will be understood that member 54 is substantially the same as member 54 except that member 54 has an end portion 56 which is fastened to the front of member 52 by rivets 56.

In Figs. 1'0 and 11, theinvention is shown embodied in a skirt or trousers hanger'l. Said hanger comprises a plate l'l2 anda plurality of laterally spaced springs 44""fastened at their opposite ends, respectively, to said plate. Said springs 44 bear against companion comparativearticles would be clampedbetween. said springs andithesconfrontingl surfac'efof plate 12.

12 shows the application' offth'e invention to a clothes pin or the like. The clothes pin-so comprises a U-shaped'member 82-formedof-wood, metal (preferably aluminum). plastic, ory ofany other suitable material.l A1spring.'4`4 isconnectedat its opposite ends in any suitableway as by rivets 46 to one legv 84- of member 82andbearsresiliently against the other leg 8t-y of said memiy It will be understood that clothes` pin 8i) can be of about the same size and can be usedA ber.

in the same way as the conventional wooden clothes pin except that the clothes are clamped resiliently between spring 44' and the confronting surface of leg 86 instead of between thel two legsy as in the common wooden clothes pin or tha-like:

Although I have shown and described the invention embodied in several different devices; the latter are not exhaustive of the/usesvtowhich thel invention may be put but are. intended to illustrate the general application of theresilient clam-ping means of the present invention.

It will be understood that the. hangers or other devices of the present invention may be made oiTa suitable material or of different materials indifferent parts of. the hangers or other'devices.

For. example, the Yhangers or other devices.' may A bernade of wood or of any suitableplastic. Further, it will be understood thatwhile the springs are hereinbefore described as made offspring steel, they may be made of any suitable material including non-metallic resilient materials.

Thus, it is seen that `the resilient clamping means and devices, hangers or supports-embodyingthe present invention are well adapted to accomplish the several objects thereof; Itv will be understood, however, that various changes in the details ofv construction and in the arrangement of parts. may be. made andalsozthat the forms of devices in which the principles of the present invention are utilized maybe varied without departing from the underlying idea of v the invention within the scope of the appended ly rigid members 14, respectively, which are with a hook 'i8 for suspending the hanger from It will be understood that a suitable support. springs 44 have the same characteristics and act in the same way as these springs in the other above described forms of the invention. Members 12 and 14 can be formed of any suitable material and are preferably substantially rigid. It will be understood that the skirt, trousers or other garments or articles may be resiliently clamped between springs 44 and members 14 and thus Instead of connecting the ends of the spring to plate 12, said springs can be connected at their ends to members 14. respectively, and positioned so as to bear on plate 12 in which case the garments or other claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for resiliently clamping articles or objects, comprising cooperating members having parts disposed in spaced confronting relation and with adjacent ends of said members at one end of the latter spaced from each other to provide an end-opening to the space between said parts, said adjacent ends being free of mutual displacement and said opening being of constant width, said members being rigidly fixed to each other at their other ends, and a strip of resilient material secured adjacent each end thereof to said part of one of said members at points spaced longitudinally of said one member, said resilient strip being in longitudinally curved form in the space between said two points and extending, in said curved form, longitudinally of said parts of said companion members between said points of securement and projecting from said one of the parts toward the other of said parts in position to resiliently engage and hold an article inserted into said space through said end-opening, the

longitudinally curved portion of said resilient confronting portion of said part of the companion space-defining member while said members are held rigidly together at said other ends thereof.

2. A hanger for garments or other articles, comprising longitudinal cooperating members disposed in spaced confronting relation and dening a space having an opening at the adjacent outer ends Vof said members for the insertion and removal of the article in and from the space between said members, said outer ends being free of mutual lateral displacement and said opening being of xed extent, means rigidly securing said members together at the adjacent ends thereof opposite their said outer ends, and a resilient strip highly flexible in a direction transversely of its length secured adjacent each end thereof at longitudinally spaced points on one of said members in position in said space, said resilient strip being formed of flat stock and having a bowed portion extending longitudinally of said space and being flexibly movable in said space, variably in adjacent longitudinal portions of the strip between said points of securement thereof, toward and away from said members and arranged to permit the article inserted in said space and to be positioned between said strip and a confronting part of one of said members while said members are in said rigidly held relation and toA be resiliently held by the strip against said confronting part, vsaid space-dening members being suiiiciently rigid transversely of their lengths to prevent substantial downward exing thereof, under the weight of the garments or other articles supported by the hanger.

3. A hanger for garments or other articles comprising atleast three rigid longitudinal members disposed in spaced parallel relation and one of said members being located between and confronting the other two of said three members, de-

fining spaces therebetween, a rigid bracket se cured to said three members at their adjacent inner ends, the outer ends of said members being free and defining end-entrance openings to said spaces between said members, respectively, said bracket holding said members rigidly in said spaced relation and providing means for supporting said hanger, and resilient strips secured in the spaces between said members and extending longitudinally thereof, each strip being highly flexible transversely of its length, each of said strips being secured at its opposite ends to one of said members and having an intermediate bowed portion projecting toward the companion confronting member, each of said bowed portions being variably exible along its length and readily yieldable along its length in engagement with the garment or other article as the latter is inserted through the companion one of said endentrance openings. longitudinally of the companion space-defining members.

ALECK LEITMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany July l0, 1913 

